Safety-envelop.



A. MIBDEN. SAFETY ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED 11017.19, 1910.

Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1 a INVENTOR,

Adena/J4 WITNESSES ATI'ORNEY A. MIBDEN.

SAFETY ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, 1910.

Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

2 SHEETS-1811331 24 WITNESSES ATTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co WASHIW n. c.

ADAM MTEDEN, OF DEADWOOID, CALIFORNIA.

SAFETY-ENVELOP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADAM MIEDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Deadwood, in the county of Trinity and State of California, have invented a new and useful Safety-Envelop, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in safety envelops.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of safety envelops, and to provide a simple and efficient one of comparatively inexpensive construction, adapted to be sealed as simply and easily as an ordinary envelop, and capable, after being sealed, of effectually preventing its contents from being surreptitiously tampered with without plainly disclosing the fact to the person receiving it.

A further object of the invention is to provide a safety envelop so constructed that each of its flaps will extend beneath and receive a portion of a postage stamp whether the same be printed on the envelop or gummed thereon, so that both the condition of the stamp and the envelop will indicate whether or not the latter has been tampered with.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the envelop is formed, constructed in accordance with this invention and showing the same before it is folded. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the envelop, the end flaps being folded. Fig. 8 is a similar view, the end flaps and the side flap being folded. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the envelop, the flap being folded and the position of the stamp being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the envelop, illustrating another form of the invention, the side and end flaps being folded and the tongues being extended and constructed to be covered and concealed by the top flap. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the en- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

Application filed November 19, 1910. Serial No. 593,221.

.velop shown in Fig. 5, all the flaps being folded. Fig. 7 is a plan view, illustrating another form of the invention, the top flap being extended and the tongues being centrally arranged and also extended. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the envelop shown in Fig. 7, all of the flaps being folded. Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 99 of Fig. 4. Fig. 10 is a similar view, the envelop being open and the tongues being split or torn, indicating that the envelop has been tampered with. Fig. 11 is a plan view of a portion of a completed envelop of the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the embodiment of the invention illus trated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive of the drawings, the envelop comprises in its construction a rectangular body portion 1, which forms one side of the envelop, a side flap 2, which forms the other side of the envelop, end flaps 3 and 4 and a top or sealing flap 5. The body portion and the flaps are integral with each other and are constructed from a single piece of paper, or other suitable material. The end flaps are preferably tapered, as shown, and are folded on the dotted lines 6 and 7 of Fig. 1 of the drawings to close the ends of the envelop. The end flap 3 is folded first, and it is provided with an extension 8, consisting of a narrow strip extending diagonally along the envelop from the lower portion of the end flap 3 upwardly to the upper portion of the other end flap 4, which when folded inwardly, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, overlaps the terminal portion of the extension 8. The extension 8 of the end flap 3 and the other end flap 4 are provided with similar tongues 9 and 10, arranged side by side and having straight inner adjacent longitudinal edges, and preferably provided with inwardly tapered outer enlarged attaching' portions 11 to prevent them when the parts are pasted together, from being easily loosened and to enable their narrow projecting portions to be easily cut or torn. The outer terminal portion 12 projects beyond the tongue 9 and underlies the end flap 4, which is provided adjacent to its tongue with a recess 13.

The side flap 2 is folded on the dotted line 14 of Fig. 1 of the drawings, and it is of the same area as the side formed by the body portion 1, but is provided in its upper edge with a central recess 15 and a side recess 16, the side recess being located at the tongues 9 and 10 and permitting the latter to project at the top of the side flap 2 without extending beyond the extreme upper edge thereof. This arrangement will permit the top or sealing flap 5 to fold overthe side flap 2 without affecting the linked or folded tongues?) and 10. The line of fold of the tongues is also carried below the line of fold of the top or sealing flap to enable the latter to be severed in opening the envelop without cutting or tearing the folded tongues. The tongues 9 and 10 by being folded outwardly upon the outer face of the side flap 2 leaves the interior of the envelop clear for the insertion of a letter or other contents, and the recess 15 will enable the contents to be pushed down by the finger below the upper edge of the side flap. hen the envelop is sealed the tongues form a pair of projecting loops, which are located at the sealing flap and are connected at their outer sides to the same, so that if the flap should be raised by a blunt instrument, or other similar means, such opening of the envelop will cut or tear the loops and indicate the fact that the letter has been tampered with.

If the top or end of the envelop be out in the usual manner to open it, the projecting loops will not be torn and the person receiving the letter may by examining the loops ascertain whether or not the letter has been opened.

Gum or other adhesive material is applied to the terminal portion of the extension 8,

1 as indicated at 17 and adhesive material is also applied to the inner face of the other end flap 4 at 17, where it overlaps the terminal portion of the extension 8 of the end flap 8, so that the end flaps are pasted together. The end flaps are also gummed at 18 and 19 at the side edges of the envelop, and the side flap is gummed at its side edges at 20 to agree with the gumming of the end flaps, and it is also provided with a small gummed area at 21 to overlie the adjacent portions of the end flaps to assist in connecting the same. The inner face of the top or sealing flap is gummed at its marginal edges at 22, and it has an extended gummed area 23 to paste the tapered terminal portions of the tongues, but the space around the projecting loops formed by the folding of the tongues is left free from mucilage, so that the looped portions of the tongues may be easily cut or torn, and also to enable them to be conveniently inspected upon opening the envelop.

When the tongues 9 and 10 are folded back upon the exterior of the side flap 2,

their outer port-ions are of a suflicient length to extend beyond the top or sealing flap of the envelop, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings,'and when a stamp is applied to the envelop at the area indicated by the dotted lines 24: of Fig. 4 of the drawings, the postage stamp seals the top flap, the side flap and the terminal portions of the tongues of the end flaps, so that.

a port-ion of each of the flaps of the envelop underlies the postage stamp. This will be true whether the postage stamp be applied by adhesive material or be printedon the jected to the action of the steam. The stamp can also be applied to the other side.

of the envelop, and the loops of the'tongne will be cut or torn should the sealing flap be opened with an instrument.

As illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, the envelop may be equipped with an extended top or sealing flap 25, and the tongues 26 and 27 can be shortened, so that when the envelop is closed and sealed, as shown in Fig. 6, the tongues will be concealed beneath the top flap.

In Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings the tongues 28 and 29 are centrally arranged, and the end flaps 30 and 31 extend to the central portion of the envelop, and the top or sealing flap may be proportioned to conceal the tongue or to expose the terminal portions thereof as desired.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A safety envelop including a body portion, a side flap, end flaps provided with interiorly arranged tongues projecting at the top of the side flap and arranged to fold outwardly over the same to form in terior loops for indicating whether the flap has been surreptitiously opened, and a top or sealing flap arranged to overlie and engage the said tongues, the line of fold of the tongues being carried below the line of fold of the top or sealing flap to enable the latter to be severed without cutting or tearing the tongues.

2. A safety envelop including a body.

ing carried below the line of fold of the top or sealing flap to permit the latter to be severed Without cutting or tearing the loops formed by the tongues.

3. A safety envelop including a body portion, a side flap end flaps provided With interior tongues projecting at the top of the side flap andarranged .to fold out-- Wardly on the same to form interior loops for indicating Whether the envelop has been surreptitiously opened, and a top or sealing flap arranged to overlie and engage the said tongues, the outer ends of the tongues being extended beyond the edge of the sealing flap to permit a stamp to seal the tongues, the top or sealing flap and the side flaps, and the line of fold of the tongues being carried below the line of fold of the top or sealing flap to permit the latter to be severed Without cutting or tearing the loops formed by the tongues.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ADAM MIEDEN.

Witnesses:

W. C. Moss, J. E. WHEELER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0. 

